Is problematic mobile phone use explained by chronotype and personality?

Area of Science:

• Psychology
• Behavioral Science
• Digital Health

Background:

• Problematic mobile phone use (MPPU) is a growing concern among university students.
• Understanding the psychological and temporal factors influencing MPPU is crucial for targeted interventions.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the relationships between MPPU, chronotype, personality, age, and gender in Turkish university students.
• To identify the primary predictors of MPPU within this demographic.

Main Methods:

• Anonymous and voluntary participation of 902 Turkish university students.
• Data collection via demographic questionnaire, Composite Scale of Morningness (CSM), Big Five Inventory (BIG-5), and Mobile Phone Problem Usage Scale (MPPUS).

Main Results:

• Chronotype, measured by CSM, was the strongest predictor of MPPU, with evening-oriented individuals scoring higher on the MPPUS.
• Conscientiousness, a personality trait, was a significant predictor, but less so than chronotype.
• Extraversion positively predicted MPPU, while emotional stability and chronotype negatively predicted it.
• Age and gender did not emerge as significant predictors of MPPU.

Conclusions:

• Chronotype is a more influential factor in problematic mobile phone use than personality traits among Turkish university students.
• Interventions for MPPU should consider individual differences in sleep-wake timing (chronotype).
• Future research could explore the causal mechanisms linking chronotype and MPPU.